318 GIBRALTAR CAVES. 



ranean springs, changed all the conditions previously existing, 

 and emptied out the whole of the loose incoherent contents, 

 leaving only the portions agglutinated to the roof. The wreck 

 of these ejecta was visible in the patches of 'ceneri impas- 

 tati/ containing fossil bones, below the mouth of the cavern. 

 That a long period must have operated in the extinction of 

 the hysena, cave-lion, and other fossil species is certain, but 

 no index remains for its measurement. The author would 

 call the careful attention of cautious geologists to the infer- 

 ences that the Maccagnone Cave was filled up to the roof 

 within the human period, so that a thick layer of bone splinters, 

 teeth, landshells, hyaenas' coprolites, and human objects, was 

 agglutinated to the roof by the infiltration of water holding 

 lime in solution ; that subsequently, and within the human 

 period, such a great amount of change took place in the 

 physical configuration of the district as to have caused the 

 cave to be washed out and emptied of its contents, excepting 

 the patches of material cemented to the roof and since coated 

 with additional stalagmite/' 



Similar proofs of great and recent geographical changes 

 have been afforded by the examination of certain Spanish 

 caves. The Kock of Gibraltar abounds in caverns containing 

 human remains, with stone, bone, and bronze implements, 

 mixed with those of domesticated animals, such as the goat 

 and ox. In the bone breccia from the Genista Cave and 

 fissure, Mr. Busk and Dr. Falconer have discovered Hyccna, 

 crocuta, an existing African species, the leopard, lynx, serval 

 and Barbary stag, together with Eli. Jiemitceckus and a species 

 of ibex. But, although it is more than probable, it does not 

 appear to be proved, that man co-existed with these animals 

 on the Eock of Gibraltar. Among some bones found in another 

 cave near Madrid, M. Lartet has discovered molars of the 

 existing African elephant. 



M. Lartet* has also described with his usual ability an 

 * Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1861, p. 177. 



